Long Live the Men

A recent paper in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science claims that a rodent called the spiny rat supposedly evolved a new male-determining gene—holding this discovery forth as a hope for the future continuity of humans absent a Y chromosome.

As a brief genetic refresher, females have two X chromosomes and males have one X and one Y chromosome. The SRY gene on the Y chromosome determines that the human or animal will be male. The Y chromosome itself is smaller than the X chromosome. Evolutionists believe that the Y and X chromosomes were once the same size and that the Y chromosome has already begun evolving away.

The spiny rat has supposedly lost its Y chromosome altogether. How, then, does the species continue to reproduce? Scientists discovered a small difference in the DNA sequence near an important regulator gene apparent only in males. The SRY protein targets this sequence, suggesting that this genetic change can substitute for at least a portion of the rat’s Y chromosome. Men everywhere can rejoice! If the spiny rat can evolve a solution to its missing Y, humans likely can as well.

But the real story here is just that: a story with hardly any factual substance.

For starters, these researchers merely assume that the Y and X chromosomes were once equal in size and that the Y chromosome has begun fading away. They have no way of testing these assumptions. Also, the information for the Y chromosome is still present in the spiny rat, but coded in a different way from humans. This variation just means that humans and spiny rats are designed differently.

We always need to interpret sensational news pieces through the lens of Scripture, keeping in mind that all things were created by God to function, even in this fallen world. The Y chromosome isn’t going anywhere.